Kyoko looked up when she heard foot steps closing in . Kuri-chan; she still recognised the distinctive sound of shoes touching ground . The sound of a professional, and the sound of a profession that eventually bled into the very essence of Kuri-chan .

"Got something you want to say?" Kyoko said .

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Kuri-chan sat down beside her . "It's about the third summer," she began .

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Kyoko nodded . "Noriko's on the way here with some tea . Let's wait for her . "

Kuri-chan shook her head . "I owe her a separate apology . This one is for you . "

Kyoko hugged her knees and waited . Third summer, the second one in Himekaizen, hadn't been the best of summer vacations for any of them .

"I'm sorry I led Ulf on the way I did despite being together with Ryu . "

But from a friend that made no sense at all . But from a friend .

"Yukio and I didn't really care," Kyoko said . "We took Urufu's and Noriko's side, and I'm not going to apologise for that . "

A thin s.h.i.+mmer behind her spoke of yet another absurdly early Swedish morning coming to life . It would continue to do so for hours in the same, lazy way evenings took forever to become night . This was nothing like j.a.pan at all . Even nature was different .

Kuri-chan draped a blanket across her back . "It'll get colder still," she said after tugging it in across Kyoko's shoulders . "I know," she said and sat back . "Ulf told me . Still owe you an apology though . "

"Why?"

"Because I didn't give you one back then . An apology for the lack of one . "

Her face, still beautiful like an angel's despite her reaching 40, turned, and Kyoko silently sat facing Kuri-chan like she had so often during the years their friends.h.i.+p remained unbroken . It wasn't any longer, had been both broken and mended somehow; yet Kuri-chan remained her most important friend .

"I'll accept that apology," Kyoko said . "Thank you . "

Kuri-chan rose . "I'll go find Noriko now . "

Because that apology has to be the real thing . 'Kuri-chan, you're a much better friend than you think . ' Kyoko turned and stared after the receding back of what was, despite everything, the best friend she had ever had .